The surname Goodwin, meaning “God’s friend,” originated in medieval times in England. Thomas Putman Goodwin’s ancestors were spirited risk-takers: early planters, seafarers, fishermen, and entrepreneurs. Their story is one of determination, capability, and courage. Thomas is a Mayflower descendant of Stephen Hopkins through Elizabeth (Kenney) Goodwin, the sixth-generation daughter-in-law of Thomas’s immigrant ancestor, Daniel Goodwin of Yoxford, Suffolk, England.